As we begin 2015, it is fair to say that the Tories are back in the game, that the Liberals have rebounded from the 2011 election setback where they were relegated to third party status, and that the NDP remains a serious and consistent contender in any electoral calculus.

To conclude that Obama’s eventual approval of Keystone is absolutely “off the table” and would inevitably be subject to a perpetual veto is to misunderstand the politics of the day in Washington. Growing bipartisan support for Keystone assures that this debate is not over.

This week’s likely top stories: Canadian businessman Cy Tokmakjian is sentenced to 15 years in Cuba; Mexico searches for 58 missing students; Venezuela’s bolivar hits a new low; Peru arrests two suspects in the murder of Indigenous activists; Colombian peace negotiator Humberto de la Calle says his e-mail was hacked.